12 day trip to Malaysian Borneo

Myself and two friends are planning a trip (budget backpackers) to Malaysian Borneo this summer and would like to know any advice on possible itineraries. We only have limited time (12 days). Our interest is mainly to see lots of wildlife, including if possible a trek through the jungle and to definitely see orang-utans. Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Check out our suggested Malaysian Borneo itinerary here (the Sarawak and Mt Kinabalu one), which includes jungle trekking and a selection of wildlife-watching options: http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/asia/malaysia/itineraries/. That’s for three weeks, so you wouldn’t be able to see and do everything on that list, but it should be a good starting point for planning your trip.

The only place to see wild orang-utans in Sarawak is at the Batang Ai National Park, though you can also see non-wild ones at the Semenggok sanctuary in a day-trip from Kuching. Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and Danum Valley Conservation Area are both good places to see orang-utans in Sabah, and you can also see non-wild ones at Sepilok rehab centre, which is easy to reach from Kota Kinabalu or Sandakan.